Celastrus

Celastrus, commonly known as staff vine, staff tree or bittersweet, is a genus in the family Celastraceae which comprises about 30-40 species of shrubs and vines. They have a wide distribution in East Asia, Australasia, Africa, and the Americas.

Celastrus orbiculatus
Not to be confused with a vine staff

Staff vine
Celastrus scandens
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Celastrales
Family: Celastraceae
Genus: Celastrus
L.[1]
Species

See text

The leaves are alternate and simple, ovoid, and typically 5–20 cm (2.0–7.9 in) long. The flowers are small, white, pink or greenish, and borne in long panicles; the fruit is a three-valved berry.

In North America, they are known as bittersweet, presumably a result of confusion with the unrelated bittersweet (Solanum dulcamara) by early colonists. C. orbiculatus is a serious invasive weed in much of eastern North America.

Selected species
  • Celastrus angulatus Maxim. – Chinese staff vine
  • Celastrus australis – Australian staff vine
  • Celastrus dispermus – orange boxwood
  • Celastrus flagellaris Rupr.
  • Celastrus gemmatus Loes.
  • Celastrus hindsii Benth.
  • Celastrus monospermus Roxb.
  • Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb. – Oriental bittersweet
  • Celastrus paniculatus Willd. - peng
  • Celastrus pyracanthus – South African staff vine
  • Celastrus rosthornianus Loes.
  • Celastrus scandens L. – American bittersweet
  • Celastrus stylosus Wall.
  • Celastrus vaniotii (H.Lév.) Rehder[2]
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References
  1. "Celastrus L." Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2007-10-05. Archived from the original on 2009-05-06. Retrieved 2009-04-16.
  2. "Species Records of Celastrus". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original on 2009-05-06. Retrieved 2009-04-16.


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